Valve



Z. LITTNIAN. K

VALVE.

APPLICATION FRED AUG-B, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented June 13, 1922.

AZ. LITTMAN.

VALVE. APPLICATION FILED Aus.s.'|919.

Patented J une 13, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

VENT

iilitiil Milet?? ZENO BITTE/IAN, 0F NEU? YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LITTMAN LOXAIR VALVEICORPO- RATION, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

VALVE.

miams.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Paijgnted June 13 1922.

Application led August 8, 1919. Serial No. 316,064.

To all whom it may concer/a Ee it lrnown that I, ZENO Lrr'rMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, `of which the following vis a speciiication.

This invention relates to air-valves, being particularly valuable in air-valves for use on pneumatic tires for automobiles.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide springless `valve structure including a valve member and positive means for forcing the valve-member into cci-action with its seat when the tire is inflated to the desired extent, and at the same time a structure so designed that the valve-member not thus positively set, the valve-member is moved away from its valve-seat or toward its valve-seat according as there is an overbalancing air-pressure at the outer or inner end of the valve structure. By the inner and outer ends of the valve structure are meant, respectively, the end of the structure adjacent to the tire and the end of the structure most removed from the tire; the terms inner and outer being employed in a similar sense in referring to other elements and to parts andy surfaces of such elements.

in order to facilitate the attainment of these ends, the valve structure preferably includes the combination of a valve casinghaving a bore near its inner end and a bore of larger diameter near its outer end, to provide an annular shoulder intermediate the ends of the casing constituting a stop; a valve member movable in the larger bore toward and away from such stop and so shaped as always to permit air communication between the two bores; an annular valve-seat .member carrying at its inner end a valve seat for co-action with the outer end of the valve member, and threadedly adjustable in the larger bore of the casing to positively force the valve member and its valve seat into coaction; a stop ringl threaded on the outer end of the casing for limiting the outward adjustment of the annular valve-seat meinber when the valve member is to be permitted to function as a balancing valve member; and a valve cap including two spaced annular walls, the inner wall for threaded' adjustment on the outer end of a valve stem extending outwardly through the annular Y valve member,

vas to insure that leakage between various ofthe parts is minimized in all adjustments ot the -valve. 'A

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following` description, when taken in connection with the accompanying` drawing.

This drawing shows what is lmerely an illustrative embodiment of the invention, to wit, that embodiment including structural features at present deemed advantageous and referred to immediately above; it of course being understood that the scope of the invention is to beI taken from the appended claims.

`lnthe accompanying` drawing, Figure l is an axial section, showing the complete valve, with the same locked against air passage in either direction and further sealed by the valve cap, in other words, with the valve. parts disposed as they would be during rolling of the tire over the road; `Figures 2, 3 and a are transverse sections, taken respectively on lines 2 2,` 3-3 and l-l of Figure l; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the 'balancing valve member; and Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof; Figure 'l' is an axial section of the valve-seat member; Figure 8 is an axial section of the stop ring for the valve-seat member; Figure 9 is an axial section of the valve cap; Figure 10 is an enlarged detail vie-w of 'certain of the parts shown in Figure l, showing fragments of the valvecasing, the valve-seat member and the clamp ring. Figure 1l is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of construction; Figure 12 is an end view of the valve as taken on substantially the plane of line 12-l2 of Figure ll; Figure 13 is a sectional view of another form of the valve; Figures 'la `and l5 are sectional and plan views respectively of one of the members of this form of lvalve and Figure 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sleeve member of this form of valve.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Figures l and 2, ll represents a valve casing, including an enlarged head 12A and a smooth shank base A.v Washer 14 is loose on the shank base, the head and the washer for clamping a part 15 of the tire-tube between them when the valve structure is mounted in the tire. The exterior of the casing 11 is threaded at 16, tol permit a nut 17 `to be screwed up on the casing to join the washer 14; tigt against the tube part 15.

Referring to Figure 1, the casing 11 has a bore 18-19 at its inner end, and a bore 2O of larger diameter at its outer end, to provide an annular shoulder 21 intermediate the ends of the casing constituting a stop.

Referring to Figures 1, 3, 5. and 6, a valve member 22 is seated in the larger bore 20, and in one adjustment of the parts, that shown in Figure 1, has its inner end forced in against thestop-shoulder 21. Even in this position of the valve member 22, however, air may freely pass back and forth between the two bores 18 and 20. This is so because the upper end of the valve member is cupped as shown, the rim of the cup is slotted at various points 23 (see particularly Figure 3), and the valvey member is polygonal in cross section and loosely housed in the bore 20.

The valve member 22 carries a stem 24;, extending outwardly from the center of the outer end ofthe valve member. This stem lprojects well beyond the outer' reduced/end 25 of the casing.

@n the rear end of the valve member 22 around the base of the valve stem, is formed an annular'groove marked 26 in Figures 5 and G. This groove is the part of the valve member for directly co-acting with the valve Seaton the inner end ofy an annular valve-seat member 27 loosely sleeving4 the valve stem 24. Such valve seat is marked 2S in Figure 7 to which attention is also now directed. As indicated, the valve-seat member 27 is threadedly adjustable in the casing 11, to move the valve seat away from the valve member, to permit play of the latter back and forth in the bore 20, or to move the valve seat toward the stop shoulder 21 to force the parts-together as shown in Figure 1. The valve seat 28 being preferably formed of packing material, that is, constituted as a gasket, it is clear that with the parts arranged as illustrated, no air can pass from the bore 20 to the annular passage 29 between the valveseat member 27 and the valve-stem 24. On the other hand, when the valve-seat member ris turned to draw tlic valve seat away from the valve member, either deliberately, as to increase the degree of inflation of the tire, or accidentally, as from road vibrations, the

valve member becomes an automatic bal` an'cing valve, so functioning that if the pressure within the tire is greater than atmospheric, the valve member is forced securely into co-action with the valve seat, but if air under greater pressure than that inside the tire is admitted to the passage 29, the valve member leaves the valve seat and permits increased inflation of the tire.

ln order to permit air under pressure to be admitted to the passage 29, when it is desired to inflate the tire, the outerend of the valve-seat member 27 has external threads at 30, so that such member may be connected in the familiar manner with a suitable air-pressure line. f

The outer reduced end portion 25 of the casing 11 is externally threaded as indicated, so that a stop ring 31 may be screwed in place on the outer end of the casing as shown in Figures 1 and 10. This stop ring is also shown, removed, in Figure 8. The stop ring has its inner edge 31 beveled, and above the beveled portion the interior wall portion 31 is threaded, as shown most clearly in Figure 8; and as shown most clearly in Figure 10, a gasket 32 may be interposed between such beveled edge of the stop ring 31 and a shoulder' 33'on the casing 11. This stop ring serves to limit the outward movement of valve-seat member 27 when the latter is turned to withdraw the valve-seat from the valve member 22; for it will be seen that stop ring 31 at its outer end is providedV with an inwardly directed interiorly threaded flange 341, and that valve-seat member 27 is provided with an external threaded collar 35. The valve-seat member 27 has an accessible part of its 100 length formed of hexagonal cross section as indicated at 36 in Figures 1 and 7, to permit the valve-seat member to be turned to move the vvalve-seat away from the valve member 22, stopped when collar 35 engages-'Hange 34. As shown most clearly in Figure 10, gaskets 37-38 are sleeved on the valve-seat member on opposite sides of collar 35; with the result that when the parts-are disposed 110 as shown in Figure 1, and valve 22 is positively held closed, gasket 37 is clamped between collar 35 and the outer end of casing 11, thus preventing any possible leakage ol air between the co-acting threads on valve- 115 seat member 27 and inside casing 11, and when valve-seat memloei` 27 .is moved. out to the maximum extent permitted, gasket 38 is clamped between collar 35 and .flange 311 to prevent the escape between stop ring 31 y.120

and valve-seat member 27 of any air which may have leaked down. within stop ring 31.

Valve stem 2-1 is threaded at its outer cnd, so that there' may be screwed in place on the valve stem a valvefoap 10 shown also inFig- 125 ures Ll and 9, This valve'cap has an inner annular wall l1 andan outer annular wall a2. The inner wall l1 is internally threaded for co-action with the threaded outer end of the valve stem 2a. The outer end of the 130 but such movement will be valve-stem member 27 is rounded, and a gasket i3 is seated in the bottom oi the annular well la established between the two walls ll and 42. rllhus, when the valve cap is mounted on the outer end of the valve stem as described, the gasket t3 is forced tight against the outer end of the valveseat member 27. rlhis provides the additional security, if such is needed, against leakage oi air from the tire during rolling on the road; since even such small amount et Vair as may improbably escape past the valve and valve-seat, is trapped within the valve cap by means of the gasket i8 therein. Obviously, also, the valve cap 40, when tightened down, will serve to bring the grooved rear face 26 of the valve into closer engagement with vthe sealing end portion oi? the member 27, and complete the seal by means of gasket 37.

ln the modiiied torm, shown in Figures l1 and l2, the parts are in general the same, and arranged in the same way as already described, but the outer threaded end ot the casing is not provided with the stop shoulder 33, (Figure l0). lnstead, the outer threaded surtace of the casing is threaded on the same diameter throughout tor engagement with the interior threads 31 ot stoprine' 3l. The stop-ring is `provided with collar 35, as betere, but the collar is not threaded. Also, as before, there is a gasket 37 to be compressed between collar and end 25 olr the casing, and gasket 38 to be compressed between the collar and the liange L'l-/lA ot the stop-ring. The closure cap 4l() has its outer end formed as a wrench, indicated at 40', Figure ll, 'tor engagement with the hexagonal portion 86. rlhe cap may be secured against accidental loss by means of a chain l0 connecting the cap to member 27, as shown.

ik dust-cap 70 may also be provided, interior-ly threaded to engage' with exterior threads on the stop-ring 3l.

ln the ttorm shown in Figures 13, 14C, 15 and 1G, the tubular valve member 52 has a reduced shank defined by a shoulder 56 at one end and by the hexagonal portion 57 at the other. Instead ot the stop-ring, heretot'ore described, l employ a ring 50 (Figure l5), split into two halves :SUL-50, both exteriorly threaded and having, together, a hexagonal flange. This ring is positioned about the shank 53, and member 52 and the ring 50, then screwed down into the interior oit shell ll. A gasket covers the shoulder :'36, a is interposed between the hexagonal liange of ring 50 and the end of shell ll, and another gasket lies between the hexagonal flange oi the ring 50 and the hexagonal portion 36 of the member 52. ln the Figure 13, position of the parts there is a seal at the point 28 and at points 54 and 57. lllhen the tubular member 29 is backed out,

der 56.

l claim:

l. ln an air valve structure, the combination of a valve casing having a stop, a valve member movable therein toward and away from said stop, the casing and the valve member being so formed and arranged that in all positions ot the valve member in the casing an air passage is provided between the valve member and the casing and an annular valve seat member li ting within the casing and carrying a valve seat at its inner end Jr`or co-action with the outer end ot the valve member, there beingl an air passage in the casing leading to the inner end ot the valve member and an air passage in the annular member leading to the outer end oit the valve member, said valve seat member being adjustable toward the stop to drive the valve member against the stop and put the valve member and valve seat into coaction and adjustable away 'from the stop to permit play o1a the valve member between the stop and the valve seat.

2. rlhe structure delined in claim, l, wherein the opposite ends of thevalve member and the air passages are so formed and arranged that, with the annular member in its last-mentioned adjustment, the valve member is moved inward toward the stop or outward toward the valve seat, according as the air pressure is greater on the outer or inner side of the valve member.

3. The structure deiined in claim l, wherein the interior of the casing and the exterior ot the valve-seat member carry co-acting threads to permit such adjustment, the exterior ot' the casing` being also threaded and there being provided a stop ring with internal threads co-acting with said threads on the exterior ot the casing; the stop ring carrying an inwardly directed flange beyond the outer end of the casing, the annular member carrying an external collar between the outer end of the casing and said lange, and annular gaskets beingsleeved on the annular member on opposite sides of said collar.

4. EL casing, a tubular member threaded within the shell and adjustable to two positions therein, means for sealing the space between the tubular member and the shell against the passage ot air in both ot the two positions before-mentioned, a valve tor controlling the passage ot air from the interior oi? the tubular member to the interior of the casing, said valve positively closing communication when the tubular member is in one ot its adjusted positions and keeping communication eloseduntl the' position of dependently olf the adjustment of the tubutb'e tubular member 1s changed, and the ar member extends through the tubular valve, in tbe other position of the tubular member. lO

t member, being aetuable to either open or In testimony whereof aHX myv signaelose such Communication. n ture.

5. The devlee set Aforth 1n @1mm 4, 1n which a' means for actuating the valve n- ZENO LTTMAN 

